Four gang members have been locked up for moving over £1 million worth of cocaine across the West Midlands. West Midlands Police snapped up Roberto Cataldo, Parminder Grewal, Tomas Kiaulakys, and Gabriele Trinkunaite after their twisted drug run came to an end.
High-Speed Sting Nails the Dealers
In January last year, officers spotted a car containing Cataldo and Trinkunaite heading back towards Birmingham from London. At a Coleshill car park, they met Grewal’s vehicle. Police observed them swapping large packages, then the convoy sped off.
When officers gave chase, Cataldo dodged capture, but Grewal’s car screeched to a halt on Lichfield Road. Grewal fled the scene but was later caught at a property in Wales. During the chase, he tossed a bag containing 3-4 kilos of cocaine out the window, with another kilo found inside his car.
Later that day, police stopped Cataldo driving toward Walsall. An hour later, they nabbed Trinkunaite in a car driven by Kiaulakys, loaded with ten one-kilo packages of cocaine, all stamped “888”. Phone chats revealed their vast drug supply plans.
Jail Time for the Drug Lords
- Parminder Grewal, 24, from Pensnett, Dudley: 5 years 5 months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and dangerous driving.
- Roberto Cataldo, 53, of Walsall: 6 years 11 months for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and dangerous driving.
- Tomas Kiaulakys, 32, of Wolverhampton: 5 years 10 months for possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
- Gabriele Trinkunaite, 26, of Wolverhampton: 7 years 8 months for conspiracy to supply and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Police Warn of Youth Exploitation in Drug Trade
West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) said their officers routinely smash up organised crime gangs and County Lines drug networks.
“We urge everyone to stay alert to the danger young and vulnerable people face, being exploited by criminal gangs who use children to move drugs under the radar,” a police spokesperson said. “This traps kids in a cycle of crime and brings misery to them and their families.”
